1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fastener, more particularly to a fastener for fastening together two lace segments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,009 B1 discloses a shoelace fastener including a main body 1, a pull unit 2 secured on the main body 1, and a covering band 3 surrounding the main body 1 and the pull unit 2. The main body 1 includes a pivot axle 4, and first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 disposed side by side and pivotally interconnected through the pivot axle 4. Each of the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 is formed with a through hole 501, 601 having a respective hole axis (Z). Each of the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 is further formed with a respective slot 502, 602 extending in a respective longitudinal direction (X) transverse to the hole axis (Z) and in spatial communication with the through hole 501, 601 in a transverse direction (Y) transverse to the hole axis (Z) and the longitudinal direction (X), and is provided with a respective clamping pin 503, 603 extending in the transverse direction (Y) and movable along the longitudinal direction (X). The pull unit 2 is attached to the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 through strings 504, 604.
When a manual pulling force is applied on the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 through the pull unit 2, the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 are pivotally moved toward each other so as to enable movement of the clamping pins 503, 603 toward the pivot axle 4, thereby releasing a shoelace.
Although the shoelace can be fastened and released by the aforesaid shoelace fastener, it has the following disadvantages:
1. The main body 1 includes the pivot axle 4, and the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6, and the strings 504, 604 are required for attaching the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 to the pull unit 2. Therefore, the shoelace fastener of the prior art is composed of a relatively large number of components.
2. The first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 are pivotally interconnected by penetrating the pivot axle 4 through the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 and then riveting the pivot axle 4. Furthermore, the pull unit 2 is attached to the first and second fastener bodies 5, 6 through the strings 504, 604. Therefore, the assembly procedure for the shoelace fastener of the prior art is relatively complicated.
3. The main body 1 has a relatively large size. Hence, the pull unit 2 is unable to conceal the main body 1 satisfactorily.
Referring to FIG. 2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,307 B2 discloses a shoelace fastener including a positioning seat 8, a pull lace 7 disposed over the positioning seat 8, a pair of flexible string sections 9 connected to the positioning seat 8 and the pull lace 7 and each defining an opening 90, a tying lace 9″ extending around the positioning seat 8 and the pull lace 7 and fixed thereto by riveting, and a pair of clamp members 9′, each of which is attached slidably to and extends across a corresponding one of the flexible string sections 9 to divide the opening 90 into a first aperture 903′ and a second aperture 904′.
In use, each of opposite lace segments of a shoelace is extended through the first aperture 903′ of the opening 90, over the corresponding one of the clamp members 9′, and into the second aperture 904′ of the opening 90. When a shoe body is tightened, each of the clamp members 9′ is forced by a corresponding one of the lace segments to move from the first aperture 903′ toward the second aperture 904′ such that each of the lace segments is clamped in a clamping position.
Although the shoelace can be fastened and released by the aforesaid shoelace fastener, each of the flexible string sections 9 is required to be provided with one of the clamp members 9′ by penetrating the flexible string sections 9 through the clamp members 9′. Furthermore, the pull lace 7 should be connected to the flexible string sections 9 for pulling the flexible string sections 9. Therefore, the assembly procedure for the shoelace fastener of the prior art is relatively complicated.